Is the Bipolar illness easily treatable?

Question

This serves as a follow on from my previous question about the Big Black Dog Metaphor, naturally I went over my head, as it's being done before and I'm not a Doctor or Student of Psychology.

Now, the term BiPolar was brought to my interest. As I have no working knowledge of this area, I would dearly appreciate some good sound advice concerning this person who is close to me.

He has had two Breakdowns, but seems okay in himself. But he now can recognize the warning signs of an oncoming breakdown.

Given he is a bright and cheerful chap normally, yet will sometimes withdraw to a quiet spell. . . . is this common place with Bipolar behavior?

And is it the better thing to do, to sit quietly and wait for it to pass, or does one seek Counseling? Will that be a lengthy period, with no positive guarantee as an outcome?

Naturally I expect this is too complex to give a broad answer as such, but this seems to be a good place to begin enquiries.

Answer 1

It depends on how he wants to help himself. If he finds the mood swings and breakdowns to be detrimental and can't take them anymore, then he should seek counciling and drug therapy treatment. Bipolar is relatively easy to treat with medication and counciling. But from what you've described he may not even have bipolar. It has to be diagnosed by a psychiatrist.

Answer 2

Bipolar needs to be treated a certain way. Psychologists once thought, and I'm sure some still do, that it could be treated simply with anti-depressants. However, since with bi-polar, the emotions and feelings tend to go from a very high point to a very low point rapidly, and without control, they have found that putting a person on mood stabilizers first (to balance out everything) and then anti-depressants (to control the depression obviously) creates better results. Also - keeping routine checkups with a psychiatrist or physician is very important, as they can monitor how the drugs are having an affect on the patient. This way they can determine the correct dosage, and correct medication.

Answer 3

Ignoring the problems does not make them go away nor does ignoring a disease make it pass away.

The cause for the bipolar disorder,and many other diseases,is omega 3 deficiency.

If you can make your friend change his dietary habits or make him drink one glass of grinded seeds a day you will see great improvement in his behavior.

Start the omega 3 diet.I have researched omega 3 acids for 2 years and performed a very successful experiment on myself and few of my volunteer friends.Few months of the omega 3 diet i cured my stress[and/or depression] problems permanently and significantly raised my intelligence,improved memory,sight,reflexes[and many other known and unknown benefits]and without any drugs or supplements in the form of pills.

http://www.naturalnews.com/021119.html

Take two table spoons of grinded flaxseed[rich with omega 3 and cheap]a day[with a glass of water] and in a few months you will start to notice significant improvement in your mental health[you will become more psychologically stable,among other things].Use a coffee grinder.Whole seeds cannot be digested by the hydrochloric acid in our stomach only grinded seeds.A fact and not a assumption.You have nothing to loose only gain by it.There are many articles on the internet about the omega 3.2 years ago before i started the diet i did not feel so stable or happy how i feel today.

Flax is the best source of ALA omega 3 fatty acid which our body converts to more important fatty acids called DHA and EPA.For the efficient conversion to take place,foods containing a large amount of the following nutrients must be consumed along with the flaxseed:C,B3,B6 [vitamins],zink and Magnesium [minerals].I recommend 3 table spoons of flax with 100 grams[or more if to your liking] of almonds and/or 250g of green peas,1 kiwi every day.[do not take more then 3 table spoons of flax because large amounts can cause intestinal gases which can cause abdominal pain and/or constipation.If three spoons causes abdominal discomfort lower the dosage to 2 table spoons of grinded flax and elevate it to 3 table spoons after your body adapts to high fiber content].The flaxseed itself is not important.The omega 3 that are inside them are.

The information in the following link should provide you with the nutritional facts of most if not all known fruits and

vegetables:http://www.nutritiondata.com

Answer 4

I too have had two breakdowns and recognize the signs of an upcoming episode.  I got three months notice of the last one coming.  It was a general speeding up of the body's and the mind's speed.  A feeling that my blood was beginning to boil.  The manic episode lasted a full year.  Followed by a wretched depression that lasted three years.  I find myself between big episodes now, though there is a minor episode that occurs each year.  Barely enough to notice, there is a manic twinge in the spring followed (always) by a depressive episode in the summer.  This being late summer, I have withdrawn some and get hardly anything done at all.  

I pretty much sit quietly and wait for it to pass.  I have been under a psychiatrist's care for eleven years now, but all they do is prescribe medications and monitor them.  I always take my medications, but I wonder if they do anything.  The thing about bipolar is that it really is a lack of or abundance of chemicals in the brain. I can feel it.  Like adrenalin, it's hard to miss. It's not something that can be cured or helped much on a docs couch.  They can just teach you how to handle the lot you're given.

Hope I've given you some insight.  Wish your friend the best.

Answer 5

It does have to be treated by a doctor.  But BiPolar is NOT easy to treat, as we have been going through this with a family member for 4 years.  He has had his meds adjusted several times and is now on a cocktail of 5 different medications to be "as good as he's gonna be".  

I don't think people with BP can see it coming on.  Yes, I have seen them withdraw from others.  It can continue on for their entire lives, as there is no "cure" for BP.  

It sounds like he may have an Anxiety Disorder, or simply Depression.  My sister-in-law sounds like him, she is on Zoloft and has had great results over the past few years.

Answer 6

I have been diagnosed with bipolar type 2,  ( I was also diagnosed with post natal depression at the age of 18 despite never having a child!!!????, and this was by the same psych, so I do question the diagnosis)

I have good spells and bad spells, when I am not coping well I take quitipeine ( sequel) at a medium dosage, I also take an SNRI  cymbalta at a high dosage, I also get prescribed bennzo's on occasion.

I am normally very chirpy and outgoing, but I have very bad spells where I am very down  and I cannot funtion,  I actually wrote a poem that was published in a down spell ( since i did not like english lit Alevel  and dropped it for sociology) I guess that means something.

I look on the bright side, and  my life is actually pretty good.  i have been in an NHS psych ward, a priory psych ward, a  private convent school, and a homeless hostel.  One day I will write about my life LOL!

EDIT!!!

For breakdowns, it really depends on how self aware the person is, my first breakdown was when I was in year 10 and it was dismissed as teenage angst it transpired that I also had a benzo addiction.,  Now I can just sense it, yeah i get down somedays, but with me, I just stop moving, I cannot move.  I have been told to seek help BEFORE that happens, but I am not deemed ill enough to have a CPN ( community psyh nurse), but lucky for me my GP who has known me since i was a  little kid takes care of me, and gets me the help i need.

Answer 7

This is an internet site devised for the malicious spread of misinformation to minors.  As such it may or may not be the best place to start your enquiries.  I believe it was Shakespeare himself who wrote " All the world's a mong-board, and the people on it only mongers," or something like that.

My own belief is that since (1) Bi-polar, as a medical or pseudo-medical term was unknown a couple of years ago, and (2) Since it is now used by every teenage nit-wit about their kittens, and inadequate parent about their infants:  It must be increasing and spreading at a terrifying rate.  The implication is obvious - BIPOLARITY IS INFECTIOUS!   and no government body or medical spokesman has been honest or brave enough to tell us this terrifying truth.

Only viral diseases spread at this rate, and are untreatable by simple means such as antibiotics.  We are therefore faced with a disease which cannot be cured, and against which there is at present no vaccine.  Remember the 2012 prophecies of the Mayan Calendar, of Nostradamus, of the Book of Revelation, and - last but not by any means least - the prophecies of the Yorkshire seer, Old Mother Shipton who wrote in 1559 -

Flee to the Mountains and the Dens

to Bog and Forest and Wild Fens ...

For in Two Thousand Ten and Two

God Will Die and So Will You!

Answer 8

No, it is not easily treatable. I was diagnosed 17 years ago, and dozens and dozens of different meds later I still haven't found one that works. It's something you will have to deal with the rest of your life, it will be very hard. I suggest really just working on your coping skills.

Answer 9

Bipolar is treatable with medication and counseling. The meds and counseling help the patient to deal with the manic(highs) and depressive(lows) symptoms. These highs and lows can vary in length, from days, weeks, or months between moods. These "breakdowns" are probably the depressive state. And the cheerfulness is probably the manic state, note I said probably because I'm not a shrink. At the least he should go see a psychologist to get a for sure diagnosis, and consider seeing a psychiatrist as well, because it takes time to find the right medication that fits a person's chemical imbalance. Every person reacts to meds differently therefore you have to mix and match a treatment for each person.

Answer 10

He will have it forever.  He will go in and out of depression so while it will look he's better by simply sitting there he clearly is not helped by this as it would not return otherwise! He needs proper medical help and even then he will never be better just stabilised.  The more episodes he has, sitting quietly until it passes as you put it, which is actually the depression making him unable to do anything, the worst it will get. The earlier he gets treatment the better his chances of being stabilised.  A patient given the wrong medication for bi-polar, such as an anti depressant on its own, can make them worst and turn them rapid cycling which means he will have more frequent episodes, not less.  NEVER, under any circumstance, potch with this or any other mental illness if not qualified to do so.  If he is not receiving treatment, do not treat him as an experiment as you could kill him - literally - as he could become suicidal!

Answer 11

Counsel yourself thusly ~  Look in the mirror and repeat in a warm and friendly manner:

"I feel your pain,

I feel your shame.

You've been pulling your pud

and you're going insane"

This will help and save you money.

Answer 12

i heard it was uncurable  

Answer 13

it takes care right pharmacological

but not always is.

I for example are 3 years that I am evil

psychologists and psychiatrists (at least in Italy) are thieves

how many blasphemy